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REPORT 



New Jersey Commissioners 



CONCERNING THE 



Northern Boundary Line 



BETWEEN THE 



STATES OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. 



TRENTON, If. ,J ; 

John L. Mubpuy, Book an-d Job Printer. 

1883. 






REPORT. 



To His Excellency George C. Ludlow, Governor of the State of Neiv 
Jersey : 

Sir — The undersigned, Commissioners appointed by yourself, under 
the act entitled "An act appointing commissioners to locate the 
northern boundary line between the States of Xew York and Xew 
Jersey, and to replace or erect monuments therein," approved April 
13th, 1876, and the supplement to said act, which was approved March 
25th, 1881, beg leave to report that the work for which they were 
appointed is done, and they herewith submit a summary account of 
their proceedings, and they present for deposit in the archives of the 
State : 

1. A report upon the terminal monuments of the northern boundary 
line of New Jersey, as made by a committee of the Joint Boundary 
Commission. 

2. A copy of the instructions given to the surveyors, for their 
\ guidance in resurveying the boundary line, and setting the several 

monuments upon it. (Copied into book 5.) 

3. The surveyors' report of their work ui)oii the line and its 
monuments. 

4. The field notes of the survey of the New York and New Jersey 
— -^ boundary. 

5. A description of the several mumimcnts which were set upon 

the boundary line by the surveyors. 

6. A topographical map of the country adjacent to the boundary 
line, with the line and its monuments correctly placed upon it. 

(3) 



4 BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 

7. An account of ajl the expenses incurred in the work, with 
vouchers for the same. 

The Commissioners had their first meeting at the Governor's rooms, 
in Trenton, on the 5th of May, 1881 ; and organized by the appoint- 
ment of Abraham Browning, President, and Geo. H. Cook, Secretary. 
* The business intrusted to their care was taken into consideration, 
and the principles wdiich should guide in conducting it were discussed. 
It was considered wise to examine the subject farther, and to hold 
another meeting before coming to a conclusion. The meeting then 
adjourned. 

On the 8th of July, another meeting was held at the State House, 
in Trenton, at which all the Commissioners were present. It was 
considered that the line which was run and marked by the Joint 
Commissioners of New York and New Jersey, in 1774, and had ever 
since been accepted as the boundary, must still be recognized as the 
true line of partition between the two States. And that the proper 
course for this Commission was to unite with that from New York, in 
fixing the monuments which remain upon the original line, and in 
restoring those which are lost. The meeting was then adjourned, 
to meet with the New York Commissioners at such time as may be 
agreed upon. 

The Joint Commission met at Piermont, on the 20th of July, 1881. 
At this meeting there were present, Abraham Browning, Thomas N. 
McCarter and Geo. H. Cook, Commissioners for the State of New 
Jersey, and Henry R. Pierson and Elias W. Leavenworth, Commis- 
sioners for the State of New York, together with David JSIurray, 
Secretary of the Board of the New York State University ; Chauncey 
M. Depew, the third Commissioner from the State of New York was 
not present. 

The members organized as a Joint Commission, by the appointment 
of Abraham Browning, President, and David Murray, Secretary. 
After a review of the data in hand, to guide them in the discharge of 
their duties, it was concluded by all that the principles enunciated in . 
the decisions of the United States Supreme Court, in cases like this, 
should guide here. And that the boundary line in question between 
the two States, though not perfectly straight, as ordered in the descrip- 
tion made by the Commission of 1769, is the line which was run by 
the Commissioners and their surveyors in 1774, and most of the 
monuments set by them to mark it are still in their places ; and that 



BOUNDARY LINE COxMMlSSIOX. 5 

this line, so long established and recognized, nuist still he accepted :u> 
the true one. And in accordance with this conclusion the duties of 
the Commission are limited to the restoration of monuments lost, to a 
a careful adjustment of all the monuments, to an accurate meiusure- 
raent of the line, and fuller description and references for all its 
permanent marks. 

It was also resolved that Edwai'd A. Bowser, surveyor, who made 
a reconnoissance of the line in 1874, for the State Geologist of New 
Jersey, be in charge of said work, in concurrence with a surveyor to 
be appointed by the New York Commission ; and that these surveyors 
should at once proceed to examine the line, and ascertain the luuiiber 
and character of the monuments re(juired, and re[)ort the same, with 
such recommendations as they may deem [)roper, to the -loint Com- 
mission for further action. The meeting then adjourned. 

The New York Commission a))pointed H. W. Clarke as their sur- 
veyor. And Prof. Bowser and Major Clarke, according to their 
instructions, examined the line and reported their conclusions and 
recommendations to the Commissioners at their next meeting, which 
was held at the St. Nicholas Hotel, in New York City, November 
30th, 1881. 

At this meeting were present Gen. Leavenworth, Mr. Depew and 
Prof. Murray, on the part of New York, and Mr. Browning, Mr. 
McCarter and Prof. Cook, on the part of New Jersey. The report 
of the surveyors was received and discussed, and the following instruc- 
tions pre[)ared for their guidance in surveying the line and setting its 
monuments : 

1. You are to i)roceed with the work at as early a date in the s[)ring 
as the seiison will permit, and to continue such work until the same is 
complete. 

2. You are to determine, tis nearly as i)racticable, the location of 
the old boundary monument';, and where these are still in existence 
you are to reset thcju in a substantial nianner in their oi'iginal loca- 
tion ; and you are to establish at each mile interval a new monument 
of the form hereinafter described ; and in case the old monument still 
remains at any point, you are to place the new monument on the ea.-t 
side and contiguous to the old monument, and in line therewith. 

3. AVhere one or more of the old mile monuments on any part of 
the line is nu'ssing, and its original locati(m cannot otherwise be 



6 BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 

determined, you are to run a straight line between the nearest adjacent 
mile points whose locations are known, and on this straight line and 
at the proper interval or intervals, you are to establish the new monu- 
ment or monuments. 

4. You are to establish at each highway, and at each line of rail- 
way crossed by the boundary line and in a straight line between the 
nearest adjacent mile monuments, a road monument of the form 
hereinafter described, said monument to be placed in a conspicuous 
but secure location at the side of the highway. 

5. The mile monuments hereinbefore referred to are to be of granite, 
4 feet long, the top dressed 6 inches square and for a distance 
down of 6 inches; upon one side to be cut the letters N. Y. and 
upon the opposite N. J. ; upon a third side a number corresponding 
to the number of the original mile monument ; quarter inch grooves 
to be cut at right angles across the center of the top, parallel to the 
sides. 

6. The road monuments hereinbefore referred to are to be of the 
same material as the mile monuments ; but to be 4-| feet in length, 
and 6x12 inches in cross section, and dressed at the top for a distance 
of 1 foot, and they are to be marked in the same way, except that 
they shall not be marked with numbers. 

7. The excavations made to receive the monuments are to be sunk 
so that, in the case of the mile monuments, only 6 inches, and in the 
case of the road monuments 12 inches, of the top shall project above 
the surface of the ground. The monument is to be secured in its 
proper place by })acking broken stone in the excavation around it. 

8. Special terminal monuments are to be set at or near the end of 
the line on the Hudson and Delaware rivers. The plan for the said 
monuments and the method of setting them, as well as the location of 
the same, are to be determined by a sub-committee of the Joint Com- 
mission, consisting of Commissioner Leavenworth, of New Y^'ork, 
and Commissioner Cook, of New Jersey ; and you are to set, in a 
substantial and permanent manner, such monuments provided by said 
commissioners. 

9. You are to keep a record of the work done in remarking this 
boundary, in which shall be given, among other things, descriptions of 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 7 

the several monuments, together with their underground marks, nature 
of the soil, their surroundings, and temporary witness marks which 
may serve to identify their location. These records are to be made 
out in duplicate ; one copy for New York, and one for New Jersey. 

lU. You are also to i)repare an accurate topogra[)hical map of the 
line, upon which the exact positions of the monuments are to be 
indicated ; and this map is to be duplicated so that one copy may be 
furnished to the Commissioners of New York, and one copy for the 
Commissioners of New Jersey. 

11. You are also to prepare a full report of your work in surveying 
and remarking the line, giving such particulars as to the history of 
the line, the mode of settling doubtful points, and such descriptions 
of the monuments, their location and their surroundings, as will serve 
to make a complete record of the V)oundary line ; and this report must 
be prepared in duplicate, so that one copy may be furnished to the 
Commissioners of New York, and one copy to the Commissioners of 
New Jersey. 

12. You are to keep accurate and detailed accounts of the expenses 
incurred in the prosecution of your work, and take quadruplicate 
vouchers tiierefor. You are to present, as often jis once in each month, 
an abstract of these expenses, in duplicate, charging to each State the 
one-half of such expenses ; one copy for each of the States accom- 
panying each abstract, with duplicate vouchers of eacli of the items 
therein. 

13. You will be authorized to draw in advance for funds with 
which to meet the current expenses of your work — one-half from each 
State; such advances to be accounted for in your monthly statements; 
drafts for New York to be made on David Murray, Secretary ; and 
drafts for New Jersey to be made on George H. Cook, Secretary. 

14. In the event of a serious doubt as to the proper location for 
any one of the proposed monuments, or of a disagreement between 
the two surveyors as to such location, the question in doubt or dispute 
is to be submitted to the Joint Conunission, and to be decided, after 
investigation and consultation, by nmtual agreement. 

In addition to the IKJ monuments rc(iuired for the mile, hiudnvay, 
railway and other markings, it was decided that more subst;mtial and 



8 BOUNDAKY LINE COIMMISSIOX. 

conspicuous niouuments should be placed at or near the two cuds of 
the line ; and that contracts should be made for them at an early 
day, so as to have them ready whenever they may be needed ; also, 
that as much as possible of the work should be done in the spring of 
1882, before the trees should become clothed with their leaves. The 
meetinsz; then adjourned. 

The survey of the line was begun on the 6th of April, 1882, and 
completed on the 14th of June following; and the resetting of the 
old monuments, and the setting of new and additional ones, was 
begun on the 24th of June and completed on the 11th of August. 

The old mile-stones were made of the stone found in the country; 
they were about 4 feet long, from 15 to 18 inches wide, and from 5 to 
7 inches thick ; about 18 inches of their length Avas under the surface, 
leaving them standing about 2^ feet high ; and their bi-eadth was in 
the direction of the line. The words " New York " were cut on the 
north side of each stone, and " New Jersey" on the south side ; and the 
number of miles from the east end of the boundary was also cut t»n them. 

Of the 48 original mile-stones, all except 6 were found ; these were 
the 26th, 31st, 34th, 36th, 41st and 47th. The 26th falls in Green- 
wood lake, and no attempt was made to set one there. The other 
missing stones Avere replaced according to the instructions, except the 
36th, which was reset according to the very plainly marked property 
lines. 

In the rough country over M'hich the line runs, the original mea- 
surements for the miles could not be very accurate. The following 
tabular statement gives the length in feet of the spaces between the 
old mile-stones : 



MII.E-STONE.S. 
Distance west 
from preceding 
Mile-stone. mile-stone, Location. (The figures are for feet.) 

in feet. 

I. 5,628.2 971^ east of Rockland road, on west slope of Palisade mountain. 

II. 5,296.9 1,501^ east of Northern railroad, in Tappan timber swamp. 

III. 5,304.6 584^ east of summit of Andre hill, Tappan. 

IV. 5,241.1 On slight elevation, 2,419^ east of Neuvy and Orangeburg road. 
V. 5,261.3 In woods, 50 paces west of clearing, 2,842^ west of above road. 

VI. 5,225.2 On east slope of hill, 927' west of road, and 2,800' west of 

Hackensack R. 
VII. 5,241.1 Just east of summit of ridge, 1,640' east of New Jersey and New 
York railroad. 
VIII. 5,251.1 250 paces west of Pascack creek, 120 paces east of road. 

IX. 5,284.2 North of Upper Montvale church, 109' west of road to Mon.sey. 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 9 

Distance west 
from preceding 
le-stone. mile-stoue, Location. (The figures are for feet.) 

in feet. 
X. 5,286.7 North of Chestnut Ridge church, 318^ west of road to Monpey. 
XI. 5,267.6 About 100 yards west ot Saddle river, 1,217' west of Saddle 
River road. 
XII. 5,269.8 At west, foot of hill, 1,186' west of road from Saddle River to 
Sufferns. 

XIII. 5,298. West slope of hill, 673' east of road from Ramsey's to Tall- 

man's. 

XIV. 5,298.2 About 400 yards west of summit of high ridge, 1 mile east of 

Sufferns. 
XV. 5,280. 441' west of Erie railroad, and about 3,000' southeast of 
Sufferns irtation. 
XVI. 5,363. 200 yards due south of a rocky knob of Ramapo mountain, 1 

mile northwest of Sufferns. 
XVII. 5,141.6 Southeast edge of small clearing, about three eighths mile 
southwest of Log chapel. 
XVIII. 5,301.2 Half- way down west slope of Ramapo mountain, in open field. 
. XIX. 5,137.9 Near top of ridge and (50 paces east of road, between Negro 
and Shepherd jionda. 
XX. 5,227 4 In wet meadow, 2,000 feet northwest of Shepherd's pond, 80 

paces west of woods. 
XXI. 5,202.9 100 paces east of road from Ringwood to Snyder mine, west 
slope. 
XXII. 5,258.5 About SOO yards southeast of summit, on southeast slope of 
Black Rock mountain. 

XXIII. 4,585 9 In swamp at east foot of Beech mountain, 1,000' N. 20° E. 

from Morris' house. 

XXIV. 5,197.3 West side of wood road, half-way down west slope of Beech 

mountain. 
XXV. 5,247.4 About 100 yards west of wood road, in depression in ridge 

east of Greenwood lake. 
XXVI. 5,282 2 On east edge of a point of land on west shore of Greenwood 

lake. 
XXVII. 5,047.5 On Bearfort mountain, 300 yards west of highest ridge. 
XXVIII. 5,161.1 On east slope of steep hill, 1,295' east of a byroad to Warwick. 
XXIX. 5,232.8 Half-way down west slope of hill, 1,813' east of Waiwick 
turnpike. 
XXX. 5,325.7 On top of mountain, 1,020' east of road from Green mine. 
XXXI. 5,280. On west slope of mountain, 1,000' northerly from Layton 

mine. 
XXXII. 5,317. West of Vernon and N. Milford road, 75 paces northwest of 
Welling's main barn. 

XXXIII. 5,356. 740' west of road from Vernon to Edenville, property of A. 

Ely. 

XXXIV. 5,280. In swampy field, on land of Mr. Layton, east of Pochuck 

meadow. 
XXXV. 5,351. On Pochuck meadow, 700' east of road from Gienwood to Pine 
island. « 



10 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION, 



Mile- stone. 
XXXVI. 

XXXVII. 

XXXVIII. 

XXXIX. 

XL. 

XLI. 

XLII. 

XLIII. 
XLIV. 



Distance west 
from preceding 



mile-stone, 
in feet. 

5.280. 

5147.6 

5,247.5 
5,278.7 
5,229.9 

5,280. 

5,262. 

5,270. 
5,304.7 



Location. (The figures are for feet.) 



XLV. 5,301. 



XLVI. 

XLVII. 

XLVIII. 

Tri- States 

rock. 



5,233.4 

5,280. 

5,139.7 

2,512.9 



East slope of Pochuck mountain, 40 paces southwest of Daniel 

Bailey's house. 
In ravine, between two peaks of Pochuck, north edge of a 

swamp. 
On Drowned Lands, 1,596^ west of Liberty Corner road. 
50 paces from the foot of the first ridge west of the Wallkill. 
200 paces southeast of Kimber's mill, 500 paces east of New 

York, Susquehanna and Western railroad. 
200 paces southwest of Aliakim Everitt's barn, Unionville. 
1 yard west of a white oak between Benjamin and Goldsmith, 

Unionville. 
In Jos. L. Clark's line fence, 1,014'' east of road. 
In swampy meadow, 1,619^ west of road running north from 

Mount Salem. 
Southwest corner of woods, 34 paces northeast of Widow 

Taylor's house. 
200 paces west of east summit of Blue mountain. 
West edge of wood road, on west slope of Blue mountain. 
Top of " Hog Back," 300 paces east of road to Port Jervis. 

In fork of the Delaware and Navesink. 



The line was run in 1774 by the compass and chain, and when most 
of the land was in wood. Its errors are owing to imperfect instru- 
ments, to local attraction and to the fact that any long line in this 
latitude run with a compass on one course, not north and south, 
between two fixed points, will necessarily have a curve towards the 
south in it ; and the extremely rough and mountainous country over 
which the line passes is sufficient cause for the inaccurate measurement 
of distances, except in the case of the 23d mile, in which there is 
evidently an error of 10 chains in the count. 

The magnetic bearing of the line is about north 50° west ; some of 
the miles, as the 1st, being north 49° 40' west, and the 24th being 
north 54° west, which is the largest variation from the general course. 
By means of the drawings and descriptions given in the map and record 
books, the line may be easily found, and any of its parts resurveyed. 

The description of the old and the new terminal monuments is 
given in the following report to the Joint Commission : 

" The undersigned, a committee appointed by your Board to ascer- 
tain and mark, by substantial and permanent monuments, the terminal 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 11 

points of said boundary, have discharged tlie duties assigned them 
and herewith report somewhat in detail the work done. 

"The boundary line in question was settled by a Commission 
appointed by the king of Great Britain, and the final decision rendered 
in 1769 was 'That the boundary or partition line between the said 
Colonies of New York and New Jersey, be a direct and strai<:ht line 
from the Delaware river at the fork at the mouth of the Mahackamack, 
in the latitude* of 41° 21' and 37", to Hudson's river, at a rock (on 
the bank of said river) in the latitude of 41°, as above described.' 

" The Mahackamack river is now known as the Neversink, and the 
fork at the mouth of it is the south point of Laurel Grove Cemetery. 
It is a bare lime-stone rock, with its upper surface near the high- 
water mark at the confluence of the two streams above mentioned- 
It was early marked by a crow-foot cut into the rock, on its up[)er face. 
The mile monuments on the bouhdary line, which were set by the 
Joint Commission of the two States in 1774, are in range with it, and 
the traditions of the country people have always recognized it as the 
western station point of the boundary. The mark was very plain in 
1874, though its cut edges were somewhat smoothed by the exposure 
of an hundred years. In 1874 the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 
at the request of the Geological Survey of New Jersey, determined 
accurately the latitude and longitude of this jioint, and, at the close of 
the work, marked it by drilling a deep hole in the rock and fastening 
in it a copper tube filled with lead, and setting and describing proper 
witnesses of its location. The station point, according to this deter- 
mination, is in latitude 41° 21' 22.63" north; longitude 74° 41' 
40.70" west from Greenwich. 

" This point we have now marked by setting in the solid rock a large 
pillar or monument of granite. This [)illar is in one piece, llr, feet 
long, and with a cross section of something over one foot by two feet ; 
it weighs "nearly three tons, and is set four feet down in an accurately 
cut hole in the rock, and fastened with cement mortar ; and is further 
supported for a foot and a half more by building stone and hydraulic 
mortar around it ; the remaining portion (six feet) is hammer-dressed, 
and marked on two of its sides. The words ' Boundary Monument,' 
and the date, ' 1882,' are cut on both sides. 

*The latitudes mentioned in this description were determined by order of this 
Commission and for its use. The work is said to have been done by Davi'd Rittenhouse, 
of Philadelphia, who was acknowledged to be the leading astronomer of the continent. 



12 BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 

" The north side is further marked — 

NEW YORK. 

^ Henry R. Piekson, 

Chaukcet M. Depew, 
Elias W. Leavenworth, 

Commissioners. 
H. W. Clabke, 

Surveyor. 

'' The south side is further marked — 

NEW JERSEY. 

Abraham BRowNiNe, 

Thomas N. McCarter, 

George H. Cook, 

Commissioiters. 
» 
E A. Bowser, 

Surveyor. 

'' The drawing given shows the form and dimensions of the monu- 
ment. The location of the monument is particularly favorable for 
its protection from mutilation ; and solid uiaterial and setting give 
promise of durability and permanency. 

" The eastern end of the boundary, in the description given by the 
Commission of 1769, is said to fall 'at a rock on the west side of 
Hudson's river, marked by said surveyors, being 79 chains and 27 
links to the southward on a meridian from Sneyden's house, formerly 
Corbet's.' It was described in the report of the Joint Boundary Com- 
missioners of the two States in 1774, as 'that the rock on the west 
side of Hudson's river marked by the surveyors (of the Royal Com- 
mission of 1769) in the latitude of 41°, we have marked with a 
straight line through its surface, passing through the place marked 
by said surveyors, and with the following words and figures, to wit : 
'Latitude 41° north,' and on the south side thereof the words 'New 
Jersey,' and on the north side thereof the words ' New York.' ' 

" The rock above described is still in place. It is about a mile below 
Sneden's landing, on the west bank of the Hudson, and about six 
inches above high-water mark, and at the foot of the north end of the 
Palisades. It is a long four-sided block of trap-rock, lying upon one 
of its sides. It is seven feet six inches long, three feet two inches 
high, and four feet wide. The marks cut on it in 1774 are still plain 
and legible. The 'straight line through its surface' is a vertical line 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 13 

two feet from its north end. It lies ;',18.'J1 ieet, S. 18" 44' W., 
from the Uuited States Coast Survey Station Ducr ; and from the 
determinations of that survey it is in latitude 40° 59' 48.17" north ; 
longitude 73° 54' 11" west from Greenwich. 

" By estimation, the rock weighs nearly eight tons, so that it is not 
likely to be moved by accident ; and it has not suffered from the 
action of the elements during the 113 years since it was first marked; 
but it lies immediately under the Palisades, whei-e it is liable to be 
buried under the debris Avhich falls from the rocks above; and there 
is danger of its destruction or removal in the progress of projected 
thanges and improvements on the bank of the i-iver. To avoid any 
danger to arise from its loss, and alst) to mark more conspicuously the 
terminus of the line, a pillar or monument of granite, similar to the 
one on the Delaware, and marked in the same way, has been set up 
on the boundary line where it crosses the highest part of the Palisades; 
it is 488 feet from the marked rock on the bank of the river, and is 
463 feet above tide level; it is of the same dimensions as that at the 
\\ost end of the boundary, and it is set in the solid trap-rock of the 
mountain in the same way as that; it stands oj^posite a point on the 
Hudson River Railroad midway between Dobbs' Ferry and Hastings, 
and the boundary line, if extended across the Hudson, would cross 
the railroad near the tall, old chimney south of Hastings. By clear- 
ing away bushes, the monument is in plain sight of the east bank of 
the Hudson from near Sing Sing almost to Yonkers; it is also in 
sight on the boulevard at the west foot of the mountain, and near 
where the boundary crosses it. The monument stjuids ou the prop- 
<?rty of the Palisades Land Company. 

''These terminal monuments are of such durable material, and so 
lirmly set, and are objects of such public attention and interest, that 
they seem little liable to destruction and loss. 

" The granite was furnished from the quarries at Westerly, R. I., 
by M. J. French, of Syracuse, N. Y., and that on the Palisades was 
set by him. The one on the Delaware was set by Galen Bennett, of 
Port Jervis, N. Y. 

"The contract price for delivering the mouuuKMits, dressed and 
lettered, at Jersey City, M-as §350. 

" The cost of setting that on the Palisades, which was in a placx^ 
wild, rocky and difficult of access, including freight from Jersey City, 
was $201. 



14 BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 

" The cost of setting that at the Delaware, including freight, was 
$92.64. 

" The cost of clearing road and grounds at Palisades was $30. 
" The setting of the monuments has been delayed by a singular 
mistake of the Erie Railway officials, in sending them to Erie, 
Pennsylvania, so that several weeks passed l^efore they were found 
and returned. 

" Respectfully submitted, 

" Geo. H. Cook, 
" E. W. Leavenworth, 
"November 17th, 1882. ''Committee:' 

In conclusion, the Commissioners would report that they have dis- 
charged the duties intrusted to them in such manner that they believe 
the line is plainly and permanently marked, so that it can, if necessary, 
be easily retraced and verified throughout its whole length, or in any 
of its parts. 

The Joint Commission have visited the line and examined the 
monuments, and consider the work to be well and substantially done. 

It is due to the surveyors and assistants to report that their work 
has been faithfully and intelligently done, and that it meets our hearty 
approval. 

The Commissioners from New York, and their Secretary, have met 
us most cordially; our discussions have been free, and the conclusions 
reached have been with the full concurrence of all the members of 
both Commissions. 

The total expense incurred by the New Jersey Commissioners for 
this work, is $2,533.42, for all of which we submit an abstract and 
accompanying vouchers. 

A. BROWNING, 
THOMAS N. McCARTER, 
GEO. H. COOK, 

Commissioners. 



AGREEMENT. 



An agreement, made the seventh day of June, in the year eighteen hun- 
dred and eighty-three, between Henry JR, Pierson, Elias W. Leav- 
emcorth and Chauncey M. Depew, Commissioners on the part of 
the State of New York, and Abraham Browning, Thomas N. 
McCarter and George H. Cook, Commissioners on the part of the 
State of New Jersey. 

Whereas, By the first Section of Chapter CCCXL. of the Laws of 
the State of New York, for the year 1880, it was recited, among other 
things, that whereas, by an Act of the Legislature, passed the twenty- 
sixth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-five, the Regents of 
the University of the State of New York were authorized and directed, 
in connection with the authorities of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 
respectively, to replace any monuments which have become dilapidated 
or been removed on the boundary lines of those States, and it was 
thereby declared that the lines originally laid down and marked with 
monuments by the several Joint Commissioners duly appointed for 
that purpose, and which have since been acknowledged and legally 
recognized, by the several States interested, as the limits of their terri- 
tory and jurisdiction, are the boundary lines of said States, irrespective 
of want of conformity to the verbal descriptions thereof. 

And, by the second section of the same chapter of the Laws of the 
State of New York, the said Regents were authorized and empowered 
to designate and appoint three of their number as Commissioners to 
meet such Commissioners as may have l)een or may be appointed on 
the part of the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, or either of 
them, and with such last-named Connnissioners, as soon as may be, to 
j)roceed to ascertain and agree upon the location of said lines as origin- 
CIS) 



ir> BOUNDARY J.INE COMMISSION. 

ally established and marked with monuments ; and in case any monu- 
ments are found dilapidated or removed from their original location, 
said Commissioners are authorized to replace them in a durable 
manner in their original positions, and to erect such additional monu- 
ments at such places on said lines as they may deem necessary for the 
proper designation of tjje boundary lines of said States ; 

And whereas, also, The above-named Henry R. Pierson, Elias 
W. I^eavenworth and Chauncey M. Depew have been duly designated 
and appointed by the said the Regents of the University of the 
State of New York, Commissioners on the part of said State for the 
purposes mentioned in the said act ; 

And whereas, also, By an act of the Legislature of the State of 
New Jersey, entitled "An act appointing Commissioners to locate the 
northern boundary line between the States of New York and New 
Jersey, and to replace and erect monuments thereon," approved April 
13th, 187C, the Governor of the State of New Jersey was authorized 
to appoint three Commissioners, with power, on the part of said State 
of Nfew Jersey, to meet any authorities on the part of the State of 
New York who may be duly authorized, and with them to negotiate 
and agree upon the true location of the said boundary line between 
the States of New Y'ork and New Jersey, and also to replace any 
monuments which may have become dilapidated or been removed on 
said boundary lines, and to erect new ones, which agreement it was 
thereby enacted should be in writing, and signed and sealed by the 
authorities of the State of New York and the Commissioners of the 
State of New Jersey ; 

And avhereas, The above-named Abraham Browning, Thomas 
N. McCarter and George H. Cook have been duly appointed Com- 
missioners on the part of the State of New Jersey under said act ; 

And whereas, By a supplement to the last said act, approved on 
the 25th day of March, 1881, the Commissioners under the last said 
act were, in addition to the authority conferred by the last said act, 
also authorized, in their discretion, to proceed to ascertain and agree 
upon the location of the northern boundary line between the States of 
New York and New Jersey, as originally established and marked with 
monuments ; and in case any monuments are found dilapidated or 
removed from their original location, said Commissioners were author- 
ized to renew and replace them in a durable manner in their original 
positions, and to erect such additional monuments at such places on 



BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 17 

said line as they may deem iiece.ss:iry for the proper designation of the 
boundary line of said States ; 

And whereaw, The said Commissioners, aeting for and on behalf 
of their respective States, have entered upon the performance of the 
duties imposed upon them by the said acts, and have, in pursTiance of 
the authority to theni severally given as aforesaid, agreed, and hereby 
do agree, as follows : 

First. The line extending from the Hudson river on the east to the 
Delaware river on the west, as the same was laid down and marked 
with monuments in 1774 by AVilliam AViekham and Samuel Gale, 
Commissioners on the part of the then Colony of New York, duly 
appointed for that purpose in pursuance of an act of the Assembly of 
the Colony of New York, passed on the sixteenth day of February, 

1771, entitled "An act for establishing the boundary or partition line 
between the Colonies of New York and Nova Ctesarea, or New Jersey, 
and for confirming titles and possession," and John Stevens and Walter 
Rutherfurd, Commissioners on the part of the then Colony of New 
Jersey, duly appointed in pursuance of an act of the Assembly of the 
Colon}- of New Jersey, passed on the twenty-third day of September, 

1772, entitled "An art for establishing the boundary or partition line 
between the Colonies of New York and Nova Ctesarea, or New 
Jersey, and for confirming titles and possession," which said line has 
since been acknowledged and recognized by the two States as the limit 
of their respective territory and jurisdiction, shall, notwithstanding its 
want of conformity to the verbal description thereof, as recited by 
said Commissioners, continue to be the boundary or partition line 
between the said two States ; 

Provided, that wherever upon said line the location of one or more 
of the monuments erected by said Commissioners in 1774 lias been 
lost, and cannot otherwise be definitely fixed and determined, then and 
in that case, and in every case where it is reipiired to estai>lish inter- 
vening points on said line, a straight line drawn between the nearest 
adjacent monuments, whose localities arc ascertained, shall be under- 
stood to be, and shall be, the true boundary line. 

Second. The monumental marks by which sjiid l)()undary line shall 
hereafter be known and recognized are hereby declared to he: first, 
the original monunients of stone erected in 1774, along said line by 

2 



18 BOUNDARY LINE COMMISSION. 

the Commissioners aforesaid, as the same have been restored and 
re-established in their original positions by Edward A. Bowser, sur- 
veyor on the part of New Jersey, and Henry W. Clarke, surveyor on 
the part of New York, duly appointed by the parties hereto; second, 
the ne\^ monuments of granite erected by the aforesaid surveyors at 
intervals of one mile, more or less, along said line, and numbered con- 
secutively, beginning from the Hudson river, and severally marked on 
the northerly side with the letters N. Y., and on the southerly side 
with the letters N. J. ; and third, the monuments of granite erected 
by the aforesaid surveyors at intervening points on said line at its 
intersection with public roads, railroads and rivers, and severally 
marked by them on the northerly side with the letters N. Y,, and on 
the southerly side with the letters N. J. ; and fourth, the terminal 
monuments erected at the western terminus of said line at the conflu- 
ence of the Delaware and Navesink rivers, and the terminal monu- 
ment erected on the brow of the rock called the Palisades, near the 
eastern terminus, and the rock lying and being at the foot of the 
Palisades on the bank of the Hudson river, and marked as the original 
terminal monument of said line established in 1774, as the same are 
described in a joint report made to the parties hereto by Elias W. 
Leavenworth, Commissioner on the part of New York, and George 
H. Cook, Commissioner on the part of New Jersey. 

Third. The field-books of said surveyors, containing the descrip- 
tions of the locations, of the several monuments erected by them, and 
of the witness marks thereto, the report of said surveyors containing 
the account of their work in ascertaining and marking said line, 
together with the topographical map of said line and the vicinity 
thereof, and the several documents and books of record containing the 
transactions of the parties aforesaid, having been duly authenticated 
and attested by the signatures of the said Commissioners, and placed 
on file in the offices of the Secretaries of State of the two States, shall 
constitute the permanent and authentic records of said boundary line, 
and are hereby adopted by the parties hereto, and made part of this 
agreement. 

Fourth. This agreement shall become binding on the two States 
when confirmed by the Legislatures thereof, respectively, and when 
confirmed by the Congress of the United States. 



BOUNDARY LINE COxMMISSION. 19 

In witness whereof, the said Coniinissioner.s have lieroto set 
their hands and seals, in duplicate, this seventh day of June, in the 
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three. 

HENRY R. PIERSON, [l. s.] 
E. W. LEAVENWORTH, [u s.] 
CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW, [l. s.] 

A. BROAVNIXG, [l. s.] 

THOMAS N. Mc CARTER, [l. s.] 
GEO. H. COOK, [l. s.] 

Executed in the presence of — 

Witness as to H. R. Pierson, 

A. C. JuDSOX, All)any. 

As to Commissioners of New Jersey, 

B. Williamson. 

Witness to the signature of E. W. Ijea\-envvorth, 
A. F. Lewis. 

As to Chauncey J\I. Depew, 

W. I. Vanarsdale. 



Note. — This agreement is also filed in the office of the secretary of State with the 
other papers relating to the boundary. 



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